Ski-board

ABSTRACT

AN ELONGATED HULL INCLUES SHAPED SPACERS TO RECEIVE A SKIER&#39;&#39;S FEET. A RUDDER IN THE AFTER END OF THE HULL AFFORDS STEERING CAPABILITIES, THE RUDDER BEING CONTROLLED BY A BRIDGE HEAD BY ONE HAND OF THE SKIER, THE OTHER HAND HOLDING A LEAD LINE EXTENDING TO THE FORWARD END OF THE HULL AND HELPING THE SKIER TO MAINTAIN BALANCE.

C. A. WOOD May 25, 1971 SKI-BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1969 awa mu 4 M 4 a C. AVWOOD May 25, 1971 SKI-BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May12, 1969 Awnvra: (mo/a ,4 4/000 May 25, 1971 c. A. wooo 3,579,532

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United States Patent 3,579,682 SKI-BOARD Craig A. Wood, 707 SycamoreLane N o. 1, Davis, Calif. 95616 Filed May 12, 1969, Ser. No. 823,637Int. Cl. A63c 15/00 U.S. Cl. 9310B 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREAn elongated hull includes shaped spaces to receive a skiers feet. Arudder on the after end of the hull affords steering capabilities, therudder being controlled by a bridle held by one hand of the skier, theother hand holding a lead line extending to the forward end of the hulland helping the skier to maintain balance.

The invention relates to improvements in ski equipment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ski-board which isversatile in that it can be used either on snow or on sand or on water.

It is another object of the invention to provide a skiboard which is notonly more stable than a conventional single, or slalom, type of ski, butwhich also can be steered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a skiboard which isrugged and durable yet is compact in size and relatively light inWeight.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a ski-board onwhich at least two people can ski at the same time.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improvedski-board.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a ski-boardhaving fail-safe braking capabilities.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiment described in the following description and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view:

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the customary attitude of theforward lead line and the after steering bridle when the ski-board is inuse;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional view to an enlarged scale,the plane of the section being indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a median, longitudinal, sectional view, to an enlarged scale,of the forward portion of the ski-board, the view being taken on theline 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view comparable to FIG. 4, but showing the after portion ofthe ski-board, the view being taken on the line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of theafter end of the ski-board, with portions of the decking being brokenaway to disclose details of the rudder mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of thecontrol bridle attachment to the rudder mechanisms, the plane of thesection being indicated by the line 77 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of theforward lead line attachment to the hull, the plane of the section beingindicated by the line 8-8 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of thelifting handle, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 99in FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the line retainerand hand grip;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view, to an enlarged scale, of the lineretainer and hand grip;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the line retainerand hand grip, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 1212in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the bowportion of the ski-board in FIG. 1, portions being broken away to revealinterior details, of a modified form of bow structure affording a brake;

FIG. 14 is a view comparable to FIG. 13 but showing the parts in thepositions assumed when the rider has fallen off the ski-board; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary, median, vertical, longitudinal, sectionalview, to an enlarged scale, of the FIG. 13 form of brake mechanism.

The ski-board of the invention, generally designated by the referencenumeral 12, includes an elongated hull member 13 extendinglongitudinally from a forward end 14 to an after end 16, andtransversely between a pair of forwardly converging vertical side walls17. Adjacent their forward ends 18 the side walls converge sharply andterminate in a forwardly pointing nose 19 (see FIG. 1).

Closing the bottom of the hull 13 is a bottom plate 21 extendingrearwardly from an upturned bow portion 22 (see FIGS. 2 and 4), througha central, substantially horizontal portion 23, and terminating in astern portion 24 slightly elevated relative to the horizontal portion 23(FIGS. 2, 4 and 5).

The arcuate bow portion 22 affords a smooth engagement with thesupporting media, i.e. snow or sand or water as the ski-board movesforwardly on its course.

Any tendency of the ski-board to yaw is effectively minimized by a foreand aft keel 31 mounted longitudinally and vertically centrally on thebottom of the hull plate 21 adjacent the forward end of the hull bysuitable fasteners 32.

The skier, or operator of the board, is provided with a pair of shapedfoot spaces 36 each including a toe portion 37 and a heel portion 38.

In some instances, it is also desired to make room for a passenger, inwhich case a forward pair of foot spaces 39 is provided, each foot spaceincluding at least a toe portion 41.

The foot spaces are delineated by a plurality of spaced cross-members42, 43 and 44 extending between the side walls 17 of the hull 13.

The forward cross-member 42 includes a deck 46 and an inclined afterbulkhead 47 both suitably affixed around their margins to the hullstructure so as to afford a buoyant, water-tight compartment 48 filledwith a foamed plastic material 49 for additional protection against lossof buoyancy. This feature is, of course, of especial importance wherethe ski-board is to be used in an aquatic environment. In the toeportions 41, the bulkhead is vertical, as at 51 (see FIG. 4).

The intermediate cross member includes a forward bulkhead 52 curvedforwardly adjacent its lateral ends 53 to afford a pair of partialheel-receiving portions 54. The bulkhead 52 merges with a horizontaldecking 56 which, in turn, joins a sloping after bulkhead 57 withvertical portions 58 defining the toe spaces 37. The intermediate crossmember 43 can, as before, be made watertight, if desired, with thecompartment 61 filled with a foamed plastic material.

The central cross-member 43 is rigidly secured to the hull 13 byfasteners 63 (see FIG. 3) passing downwardly through the decking 56 intobosses 64 formed on the bottom plate 21 of the hull 13.

The very considerable strength and substantially central location of theintermediate cross-member 43 is also utilized in mounting on the sidewalls 17 of the hull 13 a pair of board-lifting and carrying members 66(see FIGS. 3 and 9). Each of the members 66 preferably includes aslightly tensioned length of elastic, fabric covered fall off the boardor otherwise become separated therefrom.

The braking mechanism 151 is located inside the forward cross member 42and includes a horizontal lever 153 pivotally mounted on top of theaftermost one of the keel fasteners 32. The lever 153 is biased in acounterclockwise direction by a tension spring 154 appropriately securedat one end to a cross-bar 156 mounted on the distal end of the lever 153and at the other end to the forward one of the keel fasteners 32 of thekeel 31.

Movement of the lever 153 between the right-hand position shown in FIG.13 and the left-hand position illustrated in FIG. 14 is attended by acorresponding movement of a brake plate 158 between the horizontalattitude shown in full line in FIG. and the upwardly and rearwardlyinclined attitude shown in broken line in FIG. 15.

When proceeding normally, the brake plate 158 is horizontal. Whenbraking is to be effected, the plate is urged into the upwardly andrearwardly inclined attitude, in which position, snow or water or othersupporting media are trapped in the angular zone between the hull 13 andthe plate 158, the zone being designated by the reference numeral 160(see FIG. 15), resulting in a very effective increase in resistance toforward motion and consequent braking.

Control of the brake mechanism can be voluntary, by appropriatelymanipulating the handle 122 (see FIG. 15). The handle 122 has attachedthereto a pair of lead lines 132 extending downwardly toward a pair ofblocks 142 on the opposite lateral sides of the forward cross-member 42.Preferably, both lead lines emerge from the bottom end portion 162 (seeFIG. 15) of the handle 122.

One of the lead lines 132 is anchored in its corresponding block 142, inthe manner shown, for example, in FIG. 8.

The other lead line 132, however, extends beyond the opening where itemerges from the internal passageway 141 in the block into the chamber166 (inside the forward cross member 42) and is appropriately secured,as at 167, to the cross-bar 156 on the end of the swingable lever 153.

Thus, by maitaining the second or extended one of the lead lines 132 ina taut condition, as indicated in FIG. 13, the bias of the spring 154 isovercome and the lever 153 assumes the orientation shown in FIG. 13.

With the lever in the position shown in FIG. 13, the brake-plate 158 isin the horizontal, non-braking attitude shown in full line in FIG. 15.Connected to the plate 158 is a strong, yet flexible wire 171 extendingfrom the crossbar 156, into an arcuate passageway 172 formed in a block173 secured'to the after portion of the sloping wall 47 by a fastener174. The wire 171 extends from the passageway 172 downwardly through aregistering opening 176 in the bottom of the hull 13 and upon emergingtherefrom is suitably attached to the central after portion 177 of thebrake-plate 158.

By urging the wire upwardly, in the direction of the arrow 178 (see FIG.15), the brake-plate 158 is biased upwardly into braking position.

Upward movement of the wire 171 can voluntarily be effected by pullingon a brake line 181 leading forwardly and downwardly from the topportion 182 of the handle 122.

The brake line 181 extends into a fair-lead 183 mounted centrally in theforward portion of the bow by a fastener 184 (see FIG. 15), the brakeline 181 recurving rearwardly and extending linearly, when taut, to aloop anchor 186 formed in the brake wire 171.

In order voluntarily to actuate the brake 158, it is only necessary forthe rider to tilt the upper end 182 of the handle 122 rearwardly,thereby pulling on the brake line 181. This increased tension on thebrake line 181 is felt by the loop anchor 186 and the loop anchor 186 ispulled from the full line position in FIG. 13 to the broken lineposition in FIG. 13. As a result, the brake wire 171 is pulled into thebroken line position in FIG. 13, thereby pulling upwardly on the afterend of the plate 158 and effecting voluntary braking.

FIG. 14 illustrates the position of the parts when tension on the leadlines 132 and the brake line 181 is released, such as might occur whenthe rider and/or passenger falls off the ski-board. This automaticmechanism is of the fail-safe type in that it becomes operative toeffect braking upon the failure of the operator to act positively incontrolling the mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 14, the lead line 132 and the brake line 181 are bothshown in slack condition, as would ordinarily occur when a rider becomesseparated from the board.

In this situation, the spring 154 assumes control and swings the leverto the left-hand position shown in FIG. 14, in which case the brake line171 is pulled toward the left and the plate 158 is lifted into brakingposition as indicated by the arrow 178.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided a highly versatile, yetsafe, rugged and reliable ski-board device. While the ski-board of theinvention is susceptible of numerous physical embodiments, dependingupon the environment and requirements of use, substantial numbers of theherein shown and described embodiment have been made, used and testedboth in snow and in water environments, and all have performed in aneminently satisfactory manner.

Skiing down a slope on a sand dune is similar in many respects to snowskiing in that no force other than gravity is required. For waterskiing, the device requires an exterior power source, such as a smallpropulsion unit mounted on the transom, or a motor-boat attached to theboard by a line leading from the motor boat to an attaching member onthe forward end of the ski-board.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski-board comprising:

a hull member extending longitudinally from a forward end to an afterend symmetrically about a center line and including a bottom plate and apair of opposite sidewalls extending longitudinally and upstanding fromthe edges of said bottom plate and enclosing said hull member; at leastone pair of crossmembers extending across said hull member against saidbottom plate and against said opposite sides, said cross-members infacing portions thereof having configurations defining left and righttoe and heel spaces on opposite sides of said center line to accommodatethe feet of a user standing on said bottom plate;

a keel mounted on and depending from the bottom of said hull adjacentsaid forward end and forwardly of said cross-members;

a rudder mounted on and movable with respect to said bottom plateadjacent said after end and rearwardly of said cross-members;

a lead line secured to said hull member forwardly of said cross-membersand accessible to a user standing therebetween; and,

means for controlling said rudder secured to said rudder rearwardly ofsaid cross-members and accessible to a user standing therebetween.

2. A ski-board as in claim 1 wherein said rudder controlling meansincludes a rudder post rotatably mounted adjacent said after end of saidhull, a yoke carried by said post, and a bridle secured to the ends ofsaid yoke, said bridle being of a length sufiicient to be grasped by theskier with the skier standing in one pair of said footspaces.

3. A ski-board as in claim 2, further including a pair ofrudder-centering tension springs carried on opposite ends of said yokeand extending to anchor points on said hull.

4. A ski-board as in claim 1 wherein said cross mem bers are formed toprovide positive buoyance to said hull.

